Returning Home
by Shadow2700
Summary: This just came to me and I'd figured I'd try it out. Will probably update it later when I want to but for now, it's fine as it is. Edward x Winry


**I figured I'd try something different here instead of Naruto and decided to go for Full Metal Alchemist, probably one of my favorite mangas. I don't own it of course.**

**-------------------**

"So Al, returning home feels a lot different now huh?" Edward Elric asked his taller brother as they walked along the pathway that led to Resembool.

"Definitely, after all it's been over four years since I've walked this path with my original body. It feels so nice to feel the breeze here again." Alphonse Elric replied back. "I only wish that we could've gotten your arm and leg back brother."

"It's alright Al, some things are better left as they are, but there was no way that you were going to live without your body." Ed replied back, looking at his gloved hand and then glancing at his leg. "Besides, this is what I get for trying to bring the dead back to life…even if it was our mother."

"You don't deserve this punishment though brother, you were only trying to bring back one of the people we love the most." Al answered trying to make his brother feel better.

"Even so, it was wrong. Some things you can't tamper with, even if we think it's wrong." Ed replied back, lifting his head up. "But at least I made one thing right in bringing back your body…and as long as I have that, then I can live with my arm and leg never being flesh and bone again."

'Brother…'

The Elric brothers continued their way up the road until they could see their former home, their matching red and black uniforms moving in the breeze. Both of them had mixed emotions about it though. Al was happy that he was back home, metal body or not. Whenever they were home, everything seemed right to him, no constant moving, no research, no death defying adventures. Just rest and relaxation.

Edward however felt a great sense of guilt and anger towards his home. Anger of the fact that their mother had been taken away from them, that their father abandoned them and anger at himself for creating the mess that had cost him his arm and leg and Al's body with it all. But the only thing that hurt more was the guilt he felt, the guilt Al having his body taken but even worse, the guilt that he felt every time he left Winry.

Ed wasn't stupid, he knew that there was a bond between him and Winry, no matter how much they denied each other. It had been apparent since their childhood and it only grew in the years that followed. However, there was always something holding him back from pushing it forward. Whether it was the military or more than the case his own goal to returning things to the way they were, it was always difficult to try and speak to her of these feelings.

Maybe this time though, now that Al had his body back and that he himself had accepted the fact that his arm and legs were probably always going to be Auto-mail, maybe he could stay home now and try to live the best life he could, at least until Mustang summoned him again for some mission he says no one else can do.

"Brother? Are you alright?" Al asked, snapping Ed out of his thoughts.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine Al. Just thinking about home." Ed answered back with a smile. "Hey there it is now." Ed pointed toward the Rockbell home. "I wonder how surprised they'll be to see you with your body back. The look is going to be priceless." Ed laughed at the thought.

"Well let's not keep them waiting! Race you there!" Al yelled as began a full sprint to the household.

"Not so fast! Get back here!" Ed called out as he chased after him. The feeling of his auto-mail leg against the ground felt heavier than usual, even though Winry always said that it was light as a feather. Then he saw Al pulling away from him which only made seem heavier than it already was.

'At least Al doesn't have to have the feeling of suit or armor weighing him down anymore…I can live this way as long as he's happy.'

The Elric brothers soon reached the household, both out of breath and eager to show Winry and Pinako their surprise. Edward then snatched an idea from his head.

"Al, wait! Don't knock just yet, I have an idea." Ed snickered. "Let me go hide, here take my glove so that they don't recognize you."

"Brother, I really don't thinks it's a good idea. You know how Winry gets." Al responded back.

"Al, trust me, I take enough beatings from Winry anyways. And if she jumps in on you, I'll take the beating." Ed gave him a thumbs up. Al sighed in defeat.

"Okay." Al answered back while Ed hid off to the side. Al then knocked on the door which was met by a quick response with Winry opening the door.

"Well, well. Look who it is." Winry said, arms crossed over her black top, wrench in her right hand. "Come back to have me fix your auto-mail again huh?" she asked, very angry apparently.

"Well…uh…not…really…""LIAR!!" Winry yelled as she began her assault.

"AH!! BROTHER!! HELP!!" Al called out to Ed who instantly raced over to stop the attack.

"Winry!! Stop!! That's Al!!" Ed managed to get out as he threw himself in front of her wrench that now had stopped it's assault. Winry simply stared at the two in disbelief, her mouth a gape like that of a fish, relinquishing the grip on her wrench and dropping it to the ground.

"Al…your…your body…you…you got…" Winry stuttered out as she felt tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. "YOU'RE BACK AL!!" Winry sobbed as she wrapped herself around him, her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe you two got your bodies back!" Winry sobbed. Ed then got a look of sadness on his face at that statement.

"Well, that's not necessarily true Winry." Ed answered, causing her to lift her head and look at him.

"What…what do you mean?" she asked tears now stopped looking at end. Ed simply showed her his ungloved hand.

"I had to make a choice and…well, you can guess what I chose." Ed smiled weakly. Winry looked at Ed in disbelief.

"Ed…I'm sorry." Winry began to sob again as she wrapped her arms around him now.

"It's alright Winry, I made my choice and at least Al has his body back." Ed answered back as he patted her gently on the back.

"But your arm and leg…"

"It's alright Winry." Ed repeated again. It seemed enough to calm her down.

"So does that mean that…you're going to keep looking for a way to get them back still?" Winry asked, lifting her head from his shoulder, figuring she already knew the answer.

"No. I'm done with that Winry." he simply replied as he took a seat on the couch. She simply stared at him in shock unable to believe what he just said.

"But Ed, I thought that you weren't going to quit until you got BOTH your bodies back. Why are you giving up now?" Winry asked.

"Because, I'm tired, tired of trying to fix everything that's wrong. I was able to get Al's body back and at least was able to correct one thing that I messed up." Ed answered as he leaned his back against the wall. "I just…I just can't take it anymore. The military, the hours of reading, fighting random bad guys. I'm just…done."

"Brother…" Al said, understanding why he couldn't keep going like that anymore. Winry however was not as understanding.

"Ed, that's the dumbest thing you have ever said!!" Winry yelled, smacking across the face.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!!" Ed sat up, face marked with her palm.

"Because the Ed I know doesn't give up so easily!" Winry shouted back.

"That doesn't give you the right to smack me like that!!" Ed shot back.

"It's does when I'm trying to smack some sense into you!!"

Alphonse simply sat in the corner, scared to death of what might happen.

"I thought that hearing me say that would make you happy!! One minute your sad to see me go on our outings and then when I say I'm done with all that, then you say that I can't give up! Did you ever think that I stopped this because I'm tired of hurting the people I care about with this crap!! At least I was able to get Al's body back but I guess that isn't good enough for you." Ed answered back, now stood up.

"Ed…I…I…"Winry was left speechless.

"Forget it. I'm going to bed." Ed simply answered as he went up the stairs. "I'll be down for dinner later." he called out, leaving a quiet Winry and Al behind. Winry simply couldn't believe it.

"Al, what's wrong with Ed?" Winry asked him as she took a seat on the couch while Al took a seat on the chair.

"It's hard to say, but I think it has something to do with all the years of research we've done and the toll it's taken." Al began. "Once I was able to get my body back, brother told me that we were coming home. When I asked why, he simply said that he was tired and that he was happy enough to live with his arm and leg as long as I had my body back."

"But it's not like Ed to give up like this." Winry replied back.

"I know, I know, but…things are different now. He understands that some things aren't worth trying to fix, even if it means restoring himself back to who he was." Al answered. Winry understood this and was actually glad that Ed had decided to stop torturing himself, but it seemed to change him greatly as well.

"So…does that mean you two aren't leaving for so long next time?" Winry asked leaning forward.

"Don't know." Al simply shrugged. "Right now, the military has given him a leave of absence to rest…then…everything's up in the air."

Winry was disappointed that the military still had a hold on Ed, but hopefully he could get out of it somehow so he wouldn't have to be their dog anymore. Her attention was now turned towards the stairs.

"You think that I should go and talk to Ed?" Winry asked Al.

"If you think it's the right thing to do. But before you go up there you need to know something." Al told her.

"What is it?" she asked, not having a clue as to what he was going to say.

"He was thinking about you the entire time we were coming home." Al said smiling.

"He…he was thinking of me?" Winry asked, her eyes lightening up.

"Whenever he slept on the train, he would talk in his sleep about you more than anyone, saying that he was sorry for making you feel sad." Al told her.

"He doesn't have to be sorry for anything, I understand what he was trying to do." Winry tried to explain.

"Winry, you may understand why we would leave so soon, but you showed that you didn't want us to, we both picked up on it." Al replied. Winry simply hung her head low then lifted it and stood up from the couch.

"Winry, where are you going?" Al asked as he shifted in the chair.

"To talk to Ed. Tell grandma when she gets back from the neighbors that I'll help her cook dinner later." Winry answered as she walked up the stairs. Al looked on and prayed that there wouldn't be another shouting match.

"I guess they'll always be like this." Al sighed.

---

Winry knocked on the door of the quest bedroom, wanting to talk to Ed and get some things straight. "Ed! Ed! Open up! I need to talk to you!"

"Go away." Was the answer she received from the other side of the door.

"Ed, please open up." Winry asked in a softer voice. A few moments passed by as she waited for a response from the other side of the door. She almost turned around when she didn't receive an answer.

"It's unlocked." she heard him answer. She sighed in relief, knowing that he was at willing to talk to her, maybe. She then proceeded to open the door and was greeted by the sight of a shirtless Edward lying on the bed, his back turned towards her.

"Ed, are you alright?" Winry ask as she quietly stepped closer to him.

"Does it look like it Winry?" Ed asked as he stared out the window from his bed. Winry knew that he wasn't okay. She knew that he was referring to his arm and leg, he had always done so when he was like this. She looked at his arm and remembered the night that Al showed up with him in his then armored arms.

"Then let me help you Ed." Winry said as she sat on the bed next to him.

"Why would I let you help me, when all I do is cause you pain?" Ed asked, still staring out the window. Winry looked at him with sad eyes and couldn't help feel great pain for him.

"Because I care about you Ed and I'm your friend. And I will always be there for you." Winry replied placing a hand on his shoulder.

"But you want it to be something more don't you Winry?" Ed asked back, knowing full well what the answer to it was.

"What…what are you talking about Ed?" Winry asked, once again denying her feels, her face turned a shade of red.

"Winry, I'm smart enough to know that there's something between us that's more than friendship. But we can't talk about it unless we can get past our denials." Ed answered back as he turned his slightly to face her. Winry simply looked at him with understanding eyes. Maybe now was the time that she could talk about what had been bothering her for so long.

"Ed…" Winry began trying to speak out what she wanted to say., but simply couldn't find the words. "Ed…you're right. There is something between us and we need to talk about it today, while your still here before I make things worse and you leave again."

Those words got Ed's attention as he jolted upward. "Why would you make things worse? You never have, it's always been me that's made life a living hell for everyone."

"Why are you putting this all on you Ed? Isn't it time for you let someone else maybe take the blame?" Winry asked as she felt tears form in her eyes.

"Why would I let anyone else take the blame when it's my fault?! I come here every time my arm and leg get busted and then I use you to fix them and not even so much as a thank you!" Ed said in anger. "I treat you like my mechanic more than as my friend…I…I don't deserve to be your friend, I don't deserve any feelings you have for me."

Winry felt tears flow down her cheeks.

"Look at me…" Ed looked at his arm, flexing it and then balling it into a fist. "I'm a monster…someone who has put his needs before anyone else's, someone who hurts those around him for his own gain, just so he could bring his mother back, even though she wasn't meant to return. Then it was my mistakes resulting in my brother's body being destroyed along with arm and leg, I use you and people from the military so I can but everything the way it was supposed to be."

Her heart began to beat faster but began to break as well. "It doesn't matter that your arm and leg our like this. I still see you as the same person you've always been. Kind, caring, resourceful, loudmouthed, it makes you who you are. And I wouldn't change it for anything." She tried to comfort him.

"BUT LOOK AT WHAT IT COST ME AND AL!!" Ed shouted as he pointed to his arm. "We went through hell because of me! Because of my selfish intentions. Even if my intentions were noble or at least reasonable. Even when we were trying to bring back Al's body, I still wanted my arm and leg as they were. I never even thought if this was my punishment for trying to disrupt the laws of nature. There may not be a god, but the laws of nature still apply in some incenses and I messed around with them…for that…I am selfish person for trying to change them."

"Oh Ed!" Winry sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Ed, letting his head fall to her shoulder. She was weeping heavily as she tried to comfort him and herself. Ed simply sat there in disbelief.

'Why is she crying for me when I'm a monster?'

"Ed, you are not a monster…..you never will be." Winry sobbed into his shoulder. "You were only trying to fix what we all thought was wrong. You can't be a monster for that. And your arm and leg show everyone how strong you were to go through that, how strong you are to go through having your arm replaced every time it breaks."

"Then why did I have to fight four years just to get Al's body back? Why did I have to be selfish and try to bring our mother back when I knew that she was gone forever?" Ed pulled away from her embrace. "Look at me, my arm and leg…their mechanical. They're my punishment for what I've done. No one could care about me if they knew what I've done all these years." Ed spoke in a depressing tone. "Face it Winry, I am a monster."

"Please stop saying that."

Ed looked up to see Winry now sobbing even harder.

"Please stop saying you're a monster, because you're not. There are people who care about you Ed, grandma worries about you even if she doesn't show it. Al worries and loves you even through all the things you've done. I've seen some the military personnel even care about you more than as a soldier. And…I care about you Ed. It's not a punishment even if you think it is, because it brings me closer to you every time you come home, knowing that your arm needs to be fixed and that allows me to protect you in some way even when I'm not there." Winry said with much strength in her voice as she lifted her head and looked with passion in her eyes.

Ed's eyes widen at the words.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say that you would stop looking for that stone, even if you thought it was the only way to bring back your bodies. I never wanted to see you leave whenever you came home, but I know that you wouldn't stop until you had at least gotten Al's body back." Winry spoke wiping her tears away.

"Winry…"

"Every time you left, I would always worry about you, wondering if you would come back or…or if you would be gone for good, always wondering if you two had died." Winry forced out through a hiccup. "The only thing that kept me going was knowing that you would come home to me no matter what. That your arm would need to be fixed and that I would be there for you and hoping that you two would finally be back to normal. And you both are back to normal in my eyes, even if you're not completely there."

"But how could you care for someone when they have limbs made of metal?" Ed asked as he hung his head low. Winry decided to break him of this depression once and for all as she took his face in her palms. Ed could feel his pulse quicken.

"I don't care about that Edward. Just because your limbs aren't flesh anymore, doesn't mean that we don't care for you. It doesn't mean that I don't…" Winry paused, finding it hard to finish her sentence, knowing what it could bring with.

"It doesn't mean you don't what?" Ed asked as he moved closer with Winry moving closer as well.

"It doesn't mean that….that I don't…that I don't…love you." Winry forced out before pressing her lips to his. Ed was wide eyed in shock before realizing what was happening.

'She…she really…'

He decided to put his thoughts on hold and return her affections.

Neither of them had felt like this before, both had never felt so right before. Soon it began to turn into something more as he placed his arms around waist and pulled her down onto the bed with him. Years of pent of feels began to release themselves as both began to move their lips in unison, pushing and pulling each other.

Both their sense of each other's body movements increased as well, both feeling each others…assets…against each other. Whether it was Winry feeling Ed's well toned chest or Ed feeling her bountiful breasts pressed against him, both of them wanted to give more, but the lack of air stopped that.

Both separated from each other's lips, looking into each others eyes filled with longing that had developed between the two long ago. Short of breath, Ed tried to speak.

"Winry…I…I…"

"Ed…" Winry's voice was gentle and filled with understanding, giving him a warm smile.

"Winry…I…I lo…lov…" Ed tried to force out. Winry placed her finger on his lips and shushed himm placing her head on his chest.

"You don't have to say it Ed…I know you do." Winry reassured him as her breathing returned to normal. Ed smiled as he wrapped his arms tighter around her bare back. Thank whoever was out there that she only wore that small black top when she was working.

"Winry…thank you." was all Ed could say before they both fell into a sound slumber with the sun peeking through the window basking them in lovely warmth.

----

Hours passed without and sound from the two of them and it began to worry Al quite a bit.

"Pinako, what do you think happened to them?" Al asked as he was helping her with dinner in the kitchen.

"I'm not quite sure Al, but I know one of two things, either they beat each other senseless, or they decided to go and sleep for awhile until they calmed down." Pinako answered him as she was cutting a tomato.

"Maybe I should go up and check on them." Al suggested, turning his head towards the stairs.

"That's probably a good idea, their dinner will get cold when I set it out if they don't come down here." Pinako responded as she moved over to the oven.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Al answered as he walked up the stairs calling out to the pair.

"Brother? Winry?" Al called out knocking on each door he walked by before reaching the quest room door. "Hey, are you two in here?" he asked slowly opening the door. He was greeted by a sight that warmed his heart.

There they were, Edward and Winry in each others arms on the bed, both having smiles on their faces while sleeping peacefully for probably the first time in years. Al simply smiled as he closed the door and went back downstairs.

"I think it'll just be us tonight Pinako." Al said as he began to set the plates on the table.

"Why do you say that Al?" Pinako ask as she washed off some the utensils.

"It seems that they were able to finally find each other." Al answered with a smile on his face with Pinako seeming to understand as she had a smile form on her lips too.

------

**A/N: Review it if you wish, it's my work and I think it's good. Not my best but still good in my view.**


End file.
